OUR FAMOUS STATE LOGO, BY THE (SURPRISING) NUMBERS

1.6 million

The increase in visitors to New York after the logo (shown off here by then-Gov. Hugh Carey in 1977) and TV ads went public in 1977.

$2,000

Amount the state paid Milton Glaser in 1977 to cover the cost of pencils, paper and printing, with the blessing of Gov. Hugh Carey (left). The creative work was free. Frank Sinatra was paid union minimum wage — about $325 — to appear in a related TV spot.

21

Number of federal trademark registrations the state owns for various configurations of the logo. There is also a dedicated team to stop organizations around the world from using it illegally.

$1 million

Amount that licensing the “I [heart] NY” logo earns New York state annually. From boxer shorts to chocolate bars, it’s been emblazoned on every product imaginable. One of the latest is the bottle for Two Dragons beer from Syracuse-based Empire Brewing Co., an ale made from New York hops and infused with tea from China.

5

The number of times per day Glaser estimates he sees the logo on the streets of New York. “We are buried in marks and trademarks and slogans, and why should anything be memorable? The miracle to me is the durability of this mark,” Glaser said. “One of the reasons it works is that it’s not advertising, it’s not intending to persuade. It’s an acknowledgment of what people are feeling already. The world was waiting for a new way to say ‘I love.’ ”